The Top 25 Questions of 2009

Ah, 2009. More than 600,000 U.S. workers lost their jobs in January alone -- and the economic news didn't get too much better from there. There were bright spots, of course, but they seemed to be few and far between. Add in the Octomom, the Balloon Boy and the sudden death of Michael Jackson, and you have one odd ride. How many of these moments of 2009 do you remember?

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Question 1 of 25

In June, which organization declared that the swine flu outbreak had reached pandemic proportions?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The World Health Organization

Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, declared the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic on June 11.

The American Academy of Family Physicians

Question 2 of 25

The "Octomom" Nadya Suleman delivered eight babies on Jan. 26, and they all have a middle name in common. What is it?

Angel

Nadya Suleman's eight babies all have "Angel" as their middle name.

Stacy

Cooper

Connor

Question 3 of 25

Which states legalized same-sex marriages in 2009?

Iowa and New Hampshire

Vermont, New Hampshire and California

California and New York

New York, Vermont and Maine

Vermont and Iowa

Vermont and Iowa were the two states that legalized gay marriage in 2009, and New Hampshire will officially make it legal on Jan. 1, 2010.

Question 4 of 25

Which member of the "Manson family" was released from prison in 2009?

Lynette Fromme

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released in August after 34 years in jail for pointing a gun at then-President Gerald R. Ford.

Mary Brunner

Susan Atkins

Question 5 of 25

On Aug. 20, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man who bombed Pan-Am flight 103 in 1988, was released from prison and returned here, his home country.

Yemen

Syria

Jordan

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Libya

Al-Megrahi was greeted with a hero's welcome in Libya.

Pakistan

Iraq

Afghanistan

Question 6 of 25

The Heene family, of the infamous "Balloon Boy" incident, appeared on what reality show in 2008?

"Nanny 911"

"Take Home Nanny"

"America's Got Talent"

"So You Think You Can Dance"

"Wife Swap"

The Heenes appeared on an episode of "Wife Swap."

"Super Nanny"

Question 7 of 25

On June 10, white supremacist James W. von Brunn killed a guard at what Washington, D.C., museum?

Madoff will be spending the rest of his life in jail -- he got 150 years for masterminding the Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of about $65 billion.

25

95

Question 12 of 25

Where was US Airways flight 1549 headed when it crash-landed into the Hudson River on Jan. 15?

Los Angeles, Calif.

Atlanta, Ga.

Charlotte, N.C.

The 150 passengers on the flight -- all of whom survived -- were headed to Charlotte, N.C.

Chicago, Ill.

St. Louis, Mo.

Seattle, Wash.

Question 13 of 25

How much was Tiger Woods fined after his single-car accident on Nov. 27?

$58

$164

The fine was a relatively paltry $164, but the event sparked a scandal that caused advertisers to pull their sponsorships, and Woods announced that he was giving up golf to focus on his family.

$1,028

Question 14 of 25

Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March for crossing North Korea's border with what country?

China

Ling and Lee briefly crossed into North Korea from China. Kim Jong-Il pardoned them in August.

South Korea

Question 15 of 25

On April 6, an earthquake killed almost 300 people in which European country?

Hungary

Romania

Italy

Abruzzo, Italy, was devastated by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake.

Albania

Austria

Poland

Question 16 of 25

On June 12, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected as president of Iran, sparking violent protests in Tehran and prompting Twitter users to turn their user icons green in support of this man, his main rival.

Asif Ali Zardari

Mir Hossein Mousavi

Iran's Revolutionary Guards cracked down on protesters marching in support of Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Ali Khamenei

Mohammad Ali Abtahi

Question 17 of 25

The leader of what Central American country was forced into exile after a coup?

Honduras

President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras was removed from power on June 28.

Belize

El Salvador

Guatemala

Costa Rica

Panama

Question 18 of 25

In June, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted to having an affair with a woman from what South American country?

Venezuela

Colombia

Uruguay

Ecuador

Brazil

Peru

Argentina

Gov. Sanford disappeared for a few days, then returned and revealed that he had been visiting his mistress in Argentina.

Question 19 of 25

Michael Jackson died on June 25. What was the final ruling on the cause of death?

suicide

homicide

The L.A. County Coroner declared the King of Pop's death a homicide.

accidental drug intoxication

Question 20 of 25

In the so-called "Beer Summit" on July 30, President Obama met with police sergeant James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates, a professor at which university?

Princeton

Penn State

Harvard

Gates is a professor at Harvard.

University of Michigan

Question 21 of 25

Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic Supreme Court judge on Aug. 6. Where did she grow up?

Detroit

Sacramento, Calif.

the Bronx

Sotomayor was raised in the Bronx, then went on to Princeton and Yale Law School.

Question 22 of 25

What was the top-grossing movie of 2009?

"Star Trek"

"Up"

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

"The Hangover"

"Monsters vs. Aliens"

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

According to imdb.com, "Transformers" had made $402,076,689 as of early December, making it the top movie of the year.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon"

Question 23 of 25

Bush fires in what country killed 173 people in February?

Ethiopia

South Africa

Australia

On Feb. 7, more than 400 individual bush fires burned in the Australian state of Victoria.

India

Uganda

Chile

Thailand

Question 24 of 25

Who won Super Bowl XLIII?

New England Patriots

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

New York Giants

Miami Dolphins

Arizona Cardinals

San Francisco 49ers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers beat the Cardinals 27-23 for the team's sixth Super Bowl win.

Dallas Cowboys

Question 25 of 25

On September 9, Joe Wilson, a representative from this state, yelled "You lie!" during President Obama's health care speech to Congress.